For Dems and the GOP, free convention bikes to get around

It's an experiment but sounds like a fun one -- unless it's humid in St. Paul.

For both the Democrats at their national convention this week in Denver and the Republicans the following week in St. Paul, a cycling advocacy group called Bikes Belong and the healthcare organization Humana are littering the streets of both cities with free, communal bicycles.

It's something many European cities do.

The idea is that visitors, who maybe have not yet been to their fourth party, will ride bikes instead of driving. Perhaps they'll get in better shape. And maybe there will be a little less bad stuff getting into the air, which will keep Al Gore happy while he makes all that money bicycling around to give all those enviro slide shows.

Our really healthy colleague Susan Brink has more interesting details on the experiment over at Booster Shots, The Times' health blog. But you don't have to bike. Just click here.

Speaking of health, why not take a moment now to join the growing throngs preparing for the rest of this political season and beyond by having every Ticket item -- plus special offline Tweets from The Ticket's writers starting with the two party's conventions -- sent directly to your cellphone.